Source: Facebook, Instagram to charge EU users for ad-free service

WASHINGTON, United States - Meta is proposing to offer European users a subscription-based version of Instagram and Facebook if they would rather not be tracked for ads, a source said on Tuesday.

The idea, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as the social media giant seeks to comply with a growing list of EU regulations designed to curb the power of US big tech.

The company founded by Mark Zuckerberg makes its billions of dollars in profit by offering advertisers highly individualized data on users, but new European regulations and EU court decisions have made that harder.

The proposal has been put to EU regulators and is another example of big tech companies having to adapt long-held practices to meet oncoming EU rules.

The source close to the matter said subscribers in Europe could pay 10 euros ($10.50) a month for a desktop version of Instagram or Facebook, or 13 euros a month for Instagram on their phones.

Social media platforms have increasingly floated the idea of charging users for access to their sites, whether to comply with data privacy regulations or better guarantee the identity of users.

But the practice would be a major shift for the social media industry that grew exponentially over the past decade on an advertising model that made the site free for users in return for being tracked and ads seen highly personalized.

The proposal could help meet several regulations including the Digital Markets Act that imposes a list of do's and don'ts on big tech companies in Europe, including a ban on tracking users when they surf other sites if their consent hasn't been clearly granted.

It also follows the recommendation of the EU's highest court, which in a July decision said that Meta platform users who declined to be tracked should be offered an ad free alternative "for an appropriate fee."

That ruling echoed many previous rulings against Meta and other big tech firms in which the court ruled that the US company must ask for permission to collect large amounts of personal data, striking down various workarounds that Meta had offered.

Meta declined to comment directly on the Wall Street Journal report, but said in a statement that it still "believes in the value of free services which are supported by personalized ads."

"However, we continue to explore options to ensure we comply with evolving regulatory requirements."

Meta reported second-quarter revenues of $32 billion, of which $31.5 billion came from advertising. Some $7.2bn of that came from Europe.

Agence France-Presse

Russian court bans Instagram, Facebook as 'extremist'

A Moscow court on Monday banned Facebook and Instagram as "extremist" organizations, after authorities accused US tech giant Meta of tolerating "Russophobia" during the conflict in Ukraine.

The Tverskoi district court said it had agreed to a request from prosecutors for the two social media platforms to be banned for "carrying out extremist activities", but that Meta's WhatsApp messenger service would not be prohibited because it is not a public platform.

The move is part of sweeping efforts by Moscow to crack down on social media amid its military action in pro-Western Ukraine.

During Monday's hearing, Russia's FSB security service accused Meta of working against Moscow's interests during the conflict.

"The activities of the Meta organization are directed against Russia and its armed forces," FSB representative Igor Kovalevsky told the court, Russian news agencies reported.

"We ask (the court) to ban Meta's activities and oblige it to implement this ruling immediately," he said.

After President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, authorities blocked access in Russia to Facebook and Instagram, as well as to Twitter.

Meta had announced on March 10 that the platforms would allow statements like "death to Russian invaders" but not credible threats against civilians. 

But in what appeared to be damage control, Meta's global affairs president, Nick Clegg, later said the laxer rules would only apply to people posting from inside Ukraine. 

Agence France-Presse

Facebook and Instagram will invest over $1 billion in content creators

Facebook Inc will spend $1 billion on social media creators through the end of 2022 in a fight for top talent announced in a week when TikTok became the first rival mobile app to hit 3 billion global downloads.

Facebook's investments will include bonus programs to pay creators who hit certain milestones on its apps, including photo-sharing service Instagram, and fund users to produce content, the company said.

The social media giant is opening its wallet to woo creators with major fan followings from platforms like Alphabet Inc's YouTube and short video app TikTok.

Multiple major tech platforms are on the offensive to attract and keep social media personalities with new payments and services.

TikTok has committed to spending $2 billion to support creators over three years. Snap Inc's Snapchat used to pay creators a total of $1 million per day to post popular short-form videos on its service and says it still distributes millions per month to support creators through its Spotlight program.

"With the 3 billion install milestone, TikTok is the fifth non-game app to join a tier that's historically been the exclusive domain of Facebook," said mobile insights firm Sensor Tower in a Tuesday report.

Facebook said its bonuses so far are by invitation only. On its main platform video creators and online gamers will receive a monthly bonus if they hit milestones like broadcasting a certain number of hours to earn Stars, a form of digital tipping that fans can use to pay their favorite creators during live-streamed videos.

Instagram's bonus programs will include incentives to use Reels, its copycat TikTok feature that showcases short-form video clips. Creators will earn money based on how their Reels videos perform, the company said.

-reuters-

Zuckerberg urged to nix kids' version of Instagram

SAN FRANCISCO, United States - Advocates for children from around the world urged Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday to ditch plans for a version of Instagram geared toward pre-teens.

Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood and the Electronic Privacy Information Center were among nearly 100 groups and individuals from North America, Europe, Africa and Australia to make the plea in a letter to Zuckerberg.

Instagram "exploits young people's fear of missing out and desire for peer approval," the letter contended.

"The platform's relentless focus on appearance, self-presentation and branding presents challenges to adolescents' privacy and well-being," it argued, building on concerns about predators, bullies and inappropriate content.

Instagram is exploring the launch of a version of the image-centric social network for children under 13, with parental controls.

Facebook-owned Instagram, like its parent company, allows only those older than 13 to join but verifying age on the internet makes it challenging to catch all rule breakers.

"The reality is that kids are online," Facebook spokeswoman Stephanie Otway said in response to an AFP inquiry.

"They want to connect with their family and friends, have fun and learn, and we want to help them do that in a way that is safe and age-appropriate."

Facebook is working with child development and mental health experts to prioritize safety and privacy, according to Otway.

Instagram, which has more than a billion users, recently unveiled technology aimed at preventing underage children from creating accounts and blocking adults from contacting young users they don't know.

The platform is also looking at ways to make it more difficult for adults who have been exhibiting "potentially suspicious behavior" to interact with teens.

The children's advocates were dubious about the proposed youth version.

"Facebook's long track record of exploiting young people and putting them at risk makes the company particularly unsuitable as the custodian of a photo sharing and social messaging site for children," their letter said.

"In short, an Instagram site for kids will subject young children to a number of serious risks and will offer few benefits for families."

Agence France-Presse

Instagram dabbles with letting people hide ‘likes’

SAN FRANCISCO - Instagram on Wednesday said it is dabbling with letting users hide "like" counts in an effort to ease the pressure of seeking approval from others.

If an experiment at Instagram shows the option is a hit, it could be made permanent and even extended to Facebook, which owns the image-centric social network.

"In 2019, we started hiding like counts for a small group of people to understand if it lessens some pressure when posting to Instagram," a Facebook spokesperson told AFP.

"Some people found this beneficial but some still wanted to see like counts so they could track what’s popular."

Running tallies of how many people signal they like posts at social networks can be seen as status symbols or indicators of worth, raising mental health concerns

Some experts sy the insatiable quest for "likes" can be addictive and have devastating effects, particularly for younger people.

Instagram is letting a small number of users around the world decide whether to show "like" counts on their posts or see them on content shared by other people.

"We're testing this on Instagram to start, but we're also exploring a similar experience for Facebook," the spokesperson said.

Facebook said that it has been working with experts to understand how design tweaks such as the one being tested at Instagram can support well-being of users while providing control over how they engage with the service.

Agence France-Presse

Facebook antitrust suits seek to divest Instagram, WhatsApp

WASHINGTON - US federal and state antitrust enforcers filed suit against Facebook on Wednesday claiming the social media giant abused its dominant position with its acquisitions of messaging services Instagram and WhatsApp.

Separate suits filed by the Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of state officials called for the divestment of Instagram and WhatsApp, services which have billions of users and are part of the Facebook "family" of applications.

"Facebook's actions to entrench and maintain its monopoly deny consumers the benefits of competition," said Ian Conner, director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition. 

"Our aim is to roll back Facebook's anticompetitive conduct and restore competition so that innovation and free competition can thrive."

A separate legal action was filed by state antitrust enforcers from 48 US states and territories.

"For nearly a decade, Facebook has used its dominance and monopoly power to crush smaller rivals and snuff out competition, all at the expense of everyday users," said New York state Attorney General Letitia James, who leads the coalition.

"Facebook used its power to suppress competition so it could take advantage of users and make billions by converting personal data into a cash cow."

The suits allege Facebook sought to squelch competition by acquiring the messaging applications -- Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014.

The action presages a fierce court battle seeking to force Facebook to divest the apps which have become an increasingly important element of the business model of the California giant and integrated into its technology.

Facebook said it would offer a detailed response after reviewing the cases but added: "Years after the FTC cleared our acquisitions, the government now wants a do-over with no regard for the impact that precedent would have on the broader business community or the people who choose our products every day."

DATA ADVANTAGES

The case is likely to hinge not only on Facebook's share of social media users but the vast troves of data it collects from some three billion users worldwide.

"Facebook has been spending its time surveilling users' personal information and profiting from it," James said.

"No company should have this much unchecked power over our personal information, and our social interactions."

Tiffany Li, a Boston University law professor who studies the sector, said that while Facebook has rivals bidding for internet users' attention it has a big advantage because of its access to data.

"One company owning multiple platforms is not, in itself, necessarily a bar to competition," Li said on Twitter. 

"However, one company having exclusive ownership of vast amounts of user data, with no potential for interoperability or access to competitors, can be anti-competitive."

Li added that new startups "have an uphill battle to reach users due to network effects, even if they have better products."

The FTC announced earlier this year it would review acquisitions made by five Big Tech firms over the past decade, opening the door to a wave of potential antitrust investigations.

The consumer protection agency said it would review deals made by Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet since 2010 amid growing complaints about tech platforms which have dominated key economic sectors.

The US Justice Department, which shares antitrust enforcement with the FTC, in October sued Google parent Alphabet, accusing the Silicon Valley giant of maintaining an "illegal monopoly" in online search and advertising and opening the door to a potential breakup. Eleven US states joined that case.

Scrutiny has been increasing for the large tech firms which have extended their dominance in recent years, including during the global pandemic as more people turn to internet platforms for goods and services.

Agence France-Presse

2.2 million Facebook and Instagram ads rejected ahead of US vote: FB

PARIS - A total of 2.2 million ads on Facebook and Instagram have been rejected and 120,000 posts withdrawn for attempting to "obstruct voting" in the upcoming US presidential election, Facebook's vice president Nick Clegg said in an interview published Sunday.

In addition, warnings were posted on 150 million examples of false information posted online, the former British deputy prime minister told the French weekly Journal du Dimanche.

Facebook has been increasing its efforts to avoid a repeat of events leading up to the 2016 US presidential election, won by Donald Trump, when its network was used for attempts at voter manipulation, carried out from Russia.

There were similar problems ahead of Britain's 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union.

"Thirty-five thousand employees take care of the security of our platforms and contribute for elections," said Clegg, who is vice president of global affairs and communications at Facebook. 

"We have established partnerships with 70 specialized media, including five in France, on the verification of information", he added.

AFP is one of those partners.

Clegg added that the company also uses artificial intelligence which has "made it possible to delete billions of posts and fake accounts, even before they are reported by users".

Facebook also stores all advertisements and information on their funding and provenance for seven years "to insure transparency," he said.

In 2016, while he was still deputy prime minister, Clegg complained to the Journal du Dimanche that Facebook had not identified or suppressed a single foreign network interfering in the US election.

On Wednesday, President Trump rebuked Facebook and Twitter for blocking links to a New York Post article purporting to expose corrupt dealings by election rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter in Ukraine.

A day earlier, Facebook announced a ban on ads that discourage people from getting vaccinated, in light of the coronavirus pandemic which the social media giant said has "highlighted the importance of preventive health behaviors."

Agence France-Presse

'I selfie, therefore I am': Instagram 10 years on

#Foodporn, #nofilter and #TBT: Little known to the general public a decade ago, Instagram has weaved its way into the daily lives of a billion people, changing the way we eat, travel and consume.

On October 6, 2010 two Americans, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, launched Instagram as a social network dedicated to photo sharing. The novelty? The app offered filters to adjust brightness, contrast and color to create the perfect photo in an instant.

It had immediate success. The app was bought by Facebook two years after its launch, and by that time it had become the world's most popular platform for uploading endless streams of selfies.

Exhibitions, dinners, people on public transport or on vacation, every corner had become a backdrop for capturing a self-portrait for public consumption.

"We have entered the era of 'the internet reality' where one can only exist through what one publishes on social networks. I selfie, therefore I am," said Michael Stora, psychologist and president of the French research collective Observatory of Digital Worlds in Humanities (OMNSH).

Ten years on from its launch, Instagram has evolved far beyond selfies, as it redefines "experiences" and blurs the lines between reality and someone's carefully curated personal brand.

Virtual storefronts 

The app has become the preferred platform for luxury brands, particularly fast-fashion labels which have developed powerful digital marketing strategies to attract millions of users on the platform. 

A shopping function introduced last year has turned Instagram into an e-commerce site, allowing companies to use their profiles as virtual storefronts so users can shop and pay without ever leaving the app. 

It has also launched countless careers of digital "influencers" who churn out daily content to their loyal followers, striking endorsement deals along the way.

"They send me the product and I provide all the service around it... Brands no longer need to call on an advertising agency. We take care of everything," said Pauline Privez, a 36-year-old fashion and beauty influencer since 2009.

Instagram has also made luxury brands more accessible, as they are able to interact daily with users through their own accounts, said fashion historian Audrey Millet. 

"By freely publishing content they open up to everyone, shedding the image of snobbery that has been attached to them," Millet said. 

Travel guides 

The application has also revolutionized the dining experience.

Restaurateurs can count on carefully staged photos of their dishes, or moody shots within their cozy interiors to attract new clients. It is even possible to reserve a table at some restaurants directly through the app.

Instagram has become a place to search for inspiration in the kitchen, where anyone can access the recipes of famous chefs who have invested heavily in the platform, such as Jamie Oliver who is followed by 8.3 million people and posts new recipes daily.

Maelle Bourras, a Parisian in her 30s, follows "about 15 chefs" including Alain Passard, who has half a million subscribers, and Cyril Lignac, with 2.5 million.

"On weekends I try to reproduce some of their creations. It's free and accessible, and allows me to vary from the usual dishes," Bourras said.

Others use Instagram to choose their next vacation, and tourist offices rely heavily on content creators to promote their destinations.

Digital influencers like Privez publish their "experiences" and in return are paid, in addition to the free trips.

Privez, who has 140,000 subscribers, makes between six and seven "sponsored trips" per year, "not counting the two-day press trips," she said.

Around the world, museums and pop-up "experiences" are increasingly offering interactive installations solely for visitors to take selfies and post them on Instagram and other social media platforms.

Pressure for perfection 

Not all social media celebrities are in it for the money. Sylvain Hawawini, known as Dr Shawa Vet to his 107,000 followers, poses with animals in hundreds of photos from locations around the world, so that others can "discover landscapes or places still little known."

The insatiable quest for Instagram "likes" has made the platform addictive for some, and can have devastating effects, particularly for younger people, said psychologist Stora.

Instagram gives teenagers a false sense of reality and pressure for perfection "that they cannot live up to," he said.

Influencers can feel the pressure as well.

"I am forced to stay with it for my professional life, but in my personal life, I am becoming more and more detached from it," Privez said.

Agence France-Presse

Instagram adds video clips in challenge to TikTok

SAN FRANCISCO, United States - Instagram on Wednesday added a new short-form video feature to the image-focused platform in a direct challenge to TikTok, which is in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump.

"Reels" lets users record videos of up to 15 seconds and provides tools for editing, audio and effects, according to the Facebook-owned company.

"Reels invites you to create fun videos to share with your friends or anyone on Instagram," the social media platform, based in California, said in a blog post.

Trump has threatened to ban China-based TikTok in the United States on national security grounds, giving it until the middle of September to work out a takeover deal with Microsoft or another suitor.

The president on Tuesday defended his demand for the US government receive a large share of any TikTok purchase price after his stance was slammed by critics who said it appears unconstitutional and akin to extortion.

Reels puts an Instagram spin on the kind of playful video snippet sharing that has made TikTok a social media phenomenon.

"Reels is a big part of the future of entertainment on Instagram," the service said. "Our community is telling us they want to make and watch short-form, edited videos."

The feature is launching in more than 50 countries including Australia, Brazil, Britain, France, Germany, India, Japan, and the United States.

"Reels gives people new ways to express themselves, discover more of what they love on Instagram, and help anyone with the ambition of becoming a creator take center stage," the platform said.

The move fits Facebook's pattern of copying features that are hits at rival online services.

How the social networking titan wields its power in the market came under scrutiny last week when Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and the heads of Apple, Google, and Amazon were grilled by a US congressional antitrust committee.

"Simply put, they have too much power," said Representative David Cicilline, a Democrat who chairs the panel which has been conducting a year-long investigation into the business practices of the four companies.

"This power staves off new forms of competition, creativity, and innovation," Cicilline said.

Any deal allowing Microsoft to buy TikTok could be transformative for the US tech giant's efforts to become more consumer-focused -- if it can overcome the business and political risks.

Buying TikTok could make Microsoft a hipper, more youth-centric company after years of shifting to enterprise services and cloud computing, say analysts.

Agence France-Presse

Clint Bondad trends after posting cryptic messages days after messaging Sam Milby

MANILA – Clint Bondad became a top trending topic on Twitter Philippines after he posted several cryptic messages on Instagram Story Wednesday night.

This comes just days after he sent a direct message to actor Sam Milby, asking if he wants to become his "client." Milby is currently in a relationship with Bondad’s ex-girlfriend, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray.

While Bondad’s posts seemed random, some of them contained the word “Sam” although it is unclear what he’s actually pertaining to.

He also posted that that "dating app" is not equivalent to "church," which made some netizens wonder if Bondad is alluding to how Milby and Gray met.

He also said in three consecutive posts that there’s no need to worry because he is only the ex.

Towards the latter part, Bondad posted “Become my Client, Friend.” 

Bondad also wrote “P.S. I create Queens” followed by another post which says “Because I push Yiu Beyond all your Limits.”

Aside from Bondad, Gray also trended on Twitter early Thursday morning.

news.abs-cbn.com

'Life is indeed a journey': Actress gets job as waitress in Australia amid pandemic

View this post on Instagram

All set for #sheenimo2020 ❤️ Here is a preview of my Andrea Tetangco dress and @bayongmanila bag from their newest summer collection. 🛍

A post shared by Rich Asuncion-Mudie (@richasuncionmudie) on Feb 21, 2020 at 10:44pm PST

MANILA -- Rich Asuncion recently opened up about her life in Australia as she hopes to inspire her social media followers to keep moving forward even during challenging times.

In a lengthy Instagram post, the actress said she has been working as a waitress amid the pandemic.

Asuncion admitted that she had a hard time accepting it first, but she eventually realized that there is nothing wrong with the job.

"Tagal ko ring naghanap ng work. Kailangan mo 'yun dito dahil 'pag sa bahay ka lang, mas lalo kang malulungkot. Marami naman kasing opportunities dito basta 'di ka lang mapili. So 'yun na nga, dahil 'di na ako nagpaka-choosy, sinubukan ko na ang pagwi-waitress. Casual job at a restaurant," she said.

She went on: "Noong una nahirapan akong tanggapin pero na-realize ko ngayon, ano naman ang masama doon? Part pa rin naman siya ng Tourism course na kinuha ko sa UP. At wala akong karapatang mag-inarte kasi nabigyan ako [ng] panibagong chance to start anew."

According to Asuncion, her new job as a waitress is important to her as she, like most people, strives to navigate the "new normal" caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

"I know most of us will need to adjust to a new/different life after this pandemic. And that's not all that bad. To be able to survive through this is already a blessing. As hard at it may seem, look for the silver lining," she said.

"Hold on and say I am still a champion. Be grateful because some people have lost more than you already have. Sa ngayon ay tanggap ko na at masaya na ako sa bago kong buhay kasama ang aking pamilya," she added.

Aside from being a waitress, Asuncion said she is also set to continue her studies and was offered a full-time job at a day care center, allowing her to work closely with her daughter Bela.

On top of these, she and her husband, Filipino-Australian rugby player Benjamin Mudie, have "put down a reservation for our future home here in Australia."

"Life is indeed a journey full of highs and lows, but you should never stop moving and you should always keep moving forward," she said.

Read Asuncion's full post below:

View this post on Instagram

Long post ahead! ———————————————————— Simulan natin ang post na ito nang masaya. Napakasaya ko ngayong araw dahil natanggap ko na ang una kong sweldo...at sa wakas ay di na ako nalulugmok sa lungkot. Malaking bagay to dahil sa panahon ngayon ang hirap humanap ng dahilan para sumaya. Lalo pa at nag-adjust palang ako dito sa Australia. Tagal ko rin naghanap ng work. Kailangan mo yun dito dahil pag sa bahay ka lang mas lalo kang malulungkot. Marami naman kasing opportunities dito basta di ka lang mapili. So yun na nga, dahil di na ko ako nagpaka-choosy😂 sinubukan ko na ang pag wi-waitress. Casual job at a restaurant. Nung una nahirapan ako tanggapin pero narealize ko ngayon, ano naman ang masama dun. Part pa rin naman sya ng Tourism course na kinuha ko sa UP. At wala akong karapatan maginarte kasi nabigyan ako panibagong chance to start anew . My point here is, I know most of us will need to adjust to a new/different life after this pandemic. And that’s not all that bad. To be able to survive through this is already a blessing. As hard as it may seem, look for the silver lining. Hold on and say I am still a champion. Be grateful because some people have lost more than you already have. Sa ngayon ay tanggap ko na at masaya na ko sa bago kong buhay kasama ang aking pamilya. 😊Nakapag-enrol na rin ako to continue my studies and last week, I was offered a full-time job at a Daycare where I can work closely with Bela. Life is indeed a journey full of highs and lows but you should never stop moving and you always keep moving forwards. P.S. Ben and I have also just put down a reservation for our future home here in Australia. What a blessing!🏡

A post shared by Rich Asuncion-Mudie (@richasuncionmudie) on Jun 28, 2020 at 7:26pm PDT

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Instagram wants its influencers to make more money

Instagram is beginning to roll out updates that will allow creators to make money directly on the platform, a change that could drastically alter the influencer moneymaking landscape.

The company announced several new features Wednesday, including ads on IGTV videos, digital badges that fans can purchase through Instagram Live, merchandise sales through Instagram Shopping and an expansion of Brand Collabs Manager, which facilitates sponsored campaigns between companies and creators.

These updates are in addition to the expanded Instagram Live shopping features announced last week.

Influencers are an asset to social platforms. They drive engagement, but platforms that hope to retain top creators must help them do one thing well: make money. Influencing is a career, after all, and if creators aren’t getting paid, they will eventually stop showing up for work.

Until now, Instagram has taken a relatively hands-off role in monetization. Influencers are free to negotiate their own brand deals, provided they don’t violate the platform’s terms of service.

But Instagram doesn’t pay creators directly or give them a percentage of sales achieved through the platform’s shopping feature, for instance. Influencers generally receive checks from brands that team up with them, rather than from Instagram, which hosts their content.

According to a February report in Digiday, some influencers have been skeptical about Instagram’s IGTV feature, which they think bears too many similarities to YouTube and TikTok, without the benefits of those platforms.

On YouTube, creators can run ads on videos and receive monthly payments from the platform. And on TikTok, livestreaming creators can earn thousands of dollars in digital gifts. Instagram influencers have consequently pursued audiences on other platforms where their revenue streams may be more stable.

With its new monetization features, Instagram hopes to convince creators that its platform can support their work both functionally and financially. Ads from brands including Sephora, Ikea, Puma and other test partners will begin appearing in IGTV videos next week, with 55 percent of the ad revenue going to the creator (a cut that’s comparable to YouTube).

“Creators already put an incredible amount of effort into their content, and it’s crucial that they can make money from that content in order to fuel their work in the future,” said Justin Osofsky, the chief operating officer of Instagram. 

With the introduction of badges, creators will be able to make money through Instagram Live, which has seen more engagement since widespread stay-at-home orders were put in place (the company reported a 70 percent increase in views from February to March).

The badges will appear as little hearts next to a user’s comments on a livestream and will cost 99 cents to $4.99. For now, creators will receive 100 percent of the money made from badges, although Instagram could roll out a revenue-sharing agreement after the test phase is over, likely in 2021.

“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to monetization, so we’re focused on building a suite of tools that can support the different needs and ambitions of creators in the long term,” Osofsky wrote in an email.

Over the last 2 years, influencers have sought more direct forms of monetization, primarily through merchandise sales; the expansion of Instagram’s shopping features is aimed at addressing that revenue stream. And while brand deals will also be easier to find with the expansion of Instagram’s Brand Collab Manager, those agreements will likely become more complex. 

c.2020 The New York Times Company

Adele takes social media by storm with slimmer look

Adele broke her social media hiatus on Wednesday when she posted a new photo of her showing off her figure after a noticeable weight loss.

The “Hello” singer looked stunning in a black dress while standing behind a huge wreath in what appears to be just outside her house.

Adele is currently celebrating her 32nd birthday.

View this post on Instagram

Thank you for the birthday love. I hope you’re all staying safe and sane during this crazy time. I’d like to thank all of our first responders and essential workers who are keeping us safe while risking their lives! You are truly our angels ♥️ 2020 okay bye thanks x

A post shared by Adele (@adele) on May 5, 2020 at 9:38pm PDT

“Thank you for the birthday love. I hope you’re all staying safe and sane during this crazy time,” she wrote in the caption of her post.

“I’d like to thank all of our first responders and essential workers who are keeping us safe while risking their lives! You are truly our angels,” she added.

Immediately after her post, the Grammy winner became the top trending topic on Twitter Philippines.

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Social media challenges keep lockdown boredom at bay

With the coronavirus continuing to upend familiar rhythms of life, leaving schools shuttered, millions out of work and billions stuck at home, those looking for ways to pass the time have gotten creative.

In the absence of jam-packed calendars, people are turning to social media challenges in droves. Some bring together families for choreographed dance routines while others spark the inner artist or unlock hidden engineering skills. All of them hold the promise of warding off boredom and — maybe — earning users a moment of online celebrity.

Here are some of the biggest challenges sweeping the world during the lockdown.

#FliptheSwitch

Early last month, the lyrics “I just flipped the switch” from the Drake song “Nonstop” inspired a viral challenge on TikTok that eventually made its way to Instagram. All over, people began swapping clothes, poses and sometimes attitudes when the lights are switched off and then back on. A version featuring Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kate McKinnon of “Saturday Night Live” went viral, as did a clip of Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez.

#DontRushChallenge

The song “Don’t Rush” by the British hip-hop outfit Young T & Bugsey provided the backdrop for this challenge. In some videos, participants pass around a makeup brush like a wand that magically upgrades their look. One popular take featured New Orleans police officers passing around their hats while another video highlighted disabled women and men.

#PillowChallenge

This challenge attracts creative fashionistas who aim to turn everyday pillows into striking quarantine couture, often using belts to fashionably fasten the pillows around their waists. Actresses Halle Berry, Tracee Ellis Ross and Anne Hathaway all participated in the craze.

#BinIsolationOuting

In Australia, where lockdowns have halted nearly 30 years of economic growth, residents have begun dressing up as superheroes, Disney characters and sometimes dinosaurs to wheel the trash to the curb. A Facebook group called “Bin Isolation Outing,” which has quickly racked up nearly 1 million members, features photos and videos of residents dressing up for the usually mundane task.

“So basically the bin goes out more than us so let’s dress up for the occasion!” reads a description of the group. “Fancy dress, makeup, tutu … be creative. Post photos to cheer us up, after all laughter is the best medicine.” The challenge has since spilled over onto Instagram and Twitter.

#BetweenArtandQuarantine

While the pandemic has shuttered most public institutions, museumgoers have shifted their focus online, where people are cleverly replicating famous artworks. Participants use toilet paper, food, old clothes and more to form a living archive of creativity in isolation. The Instagram account @tussenkunstenquarantaine collects and posts submissions from locked-down artists all over. Thousands of replicas appear under the hashtags #tussenkunstenquarantaine and #betweenartandquarantine. There’s also a Russian Facebook group called “Isolation” that features at-home replicas of sculptures, paintings and movie scenes.

#TrickShot

When boredom sets in, silly tasks are sometimes the most entertaining, as evidenced by the millions of TikTok, Instagram and Twitter videos posted with the hashtag #trickshot. The objective is to land the shot, no matter how many obstacles or how ridiculous the task. Some popular videos show Ping-Pong balls bouncing off pots and pans or going through complicated courses. Although Ping-Pong balls are commonly used, people have recorded their own #trickshot videos using basketballs, soccer balls and golf balls.

Your First Move Is Their Last Move

This challenge turns family living rooms and kitchens into makeshift nightclubs, where everyone gets a turn on the dance floor. The conceit: Repeat the dance move from the person in front of you, then add your own twist for the person behind you to replicate. The “Your First Move Is Their Last Move” challenge is most popular on TikTok, where there are hundreds of thousands of videos.


c.2020 The New York Times Company

ABS-CBN News now has 8-M subscribers on YouTube

MANILA - ABS-CBN News' YouTube channel welcomed its eight-millionth subscriber in January as it became the top Philippine news publisher with most video views in the country.

Its videos garnered over 5.56 billion views since inauguration, the most views by any news publisher, which ranks it third among all channels based in the Philippines, according to analytics firm Social Blade.

In the previous month, ABS-CBN News stayed on top of stories such as the eruption of the Taal Volcano, the outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus, and the death of basketball great Kobe Bryant.

Last year, the news arm of the country's biggest broadcasting company launched its mobile application, where users receive prompts for live videos and news alerts. It also boosted its online presence with NXT, which presents informative videos on current events and relevant issues produced for the digital generation of Filipinos.

ABS-CBN News continues to inform over 18 million followers on Facebook and 6.6 million on Twitter. It is also connected to 1.8 million followers on Instagram.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Instagram to collect ages in leap for youth safety, alcohol ads

SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook Inc's Instagram said it will require birthdates from all new users starting on Wednesday, expanding the audience for ads for alcohol and other age-restricted products while offering new safety measures for younger users.

Until now, Instagram except for limited circumstances has required its 1 billion users only to say they are at least 13 years old.

Instagram said advertisers were not the driving force for the new requirement. Gambling and birth control are among other types of ads restricted to older audiences by Instagram policies and laws.

The policy change could help stave off passage of costly child safety and data privacy regulations as lawmakers and family safety groups in the United States, Britain and elsewhere criticize the app for exposing children to inappropriate material.

The birthdate requirement is the latest step Instagram has taken to move away from longstanding principles such as anonymity that had distinguished it from Facebook's namesake app.

"Understanding how old people are is quite important to the work we're doing, not only to create age-appropriate experiences but to live up to our longstanding rule to not allow access to young people," Instagram's head of product Vishal Shah said in an interview with Reuters.

He declined to specify age-based features in testing, but said age could be the basis for recommended privacy settings or in-app education about staying safe online. Birthdates will not be visible to other users.

In addition, Instagram will introduce in the coming weeks options for users to block messages from people they do not follow and for both businesses and popular users who are known as "creators" to more easily restrict minors from viewing their posts, Shah said.

Scrutiny of Instagram increased as it overtook Facebook's main app in popularity among teens and young adults and became a leading contributor to Facebook's revenue growth.

NO VERIFICATION

Instagram will not verify birthdates because teens often cannot prove their age, and it will still be left without birthdays of some existing users. Instagram expects most people will be honest about birthdates and said artificial intelligence could eventually aid verification.

Jeffrey Chester, who focuses on kids' safety issues at the Washington-based Center for Digital Democracy, described Instagram's new policy as "long overdue" to come in step with U.S. laws aimed at preserving the online privacy of children under 13.

But the London-based National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said asking for "an unverifiable date of birth will do nothing in practice to protect children from harmful or age-inappropriate content."

Until now, Instagram required birthdates only in limited circumstances.

Users who had merged their Instagram profile and Facebook account, which requires a birthdate to create, turned over the data. Minors in the European Union over the last 18 months also had to submit birthdates so the company could comply with the region's new data privacy law, known commonly as GDPR.

The existing birthdays, along with some rough analysis by workers poring over posts mentioning "happy birthday" and other terms, has helped Instagram train machine learning software that predicts a user's age and gender.

The automated prediction also takes into account the variety of posts someone makes and the hashtags used.

Instagram employs its predictions to understand usage patterns by age and gender. But Shah said Instagram is reluctant to use predictions to personalize features or determine whether someone is lying about their age because of reliability and transparency concerns.

The forthcoming birthdate data will help improve accuracy, Shah said.

"It's important for us to use people's explicit (birthdate) input for now, but that might change," he said.

Current users who have not linked their Instagram and Facebook accounts will be able to add their birthdates starting Wednesday, but the company is still debating whether it would be too intrusive to make it mandatory, Shah said.

Instagram knows whether some of those users are adults, for instance, because it asks them to say so before looking at profiles of alcohol and sexually explicit businesses.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Facebook and associated platforms back online after outage

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook said it had restored service following an outage on Thursday that hindered access to the social platform and its other apps such as Instagram.

"Earlier today, people may have experienced trouble accessing Facebook's family of apps. The issue has since been resolved, we are back to 100 percent for everyone and we're sorry for any inconvenience," a company spokesman said in a statement.

Facebook blamed "an issue in one of our central software systems" for snarling connectivity for several hours.

Many users, often wryly, took to Twitter to comment on the crash.

Downdetector, which monitors outages on the internet, said users of all Facebook platforms started having trouble at 9:45 p.m.

As is often the case with these outages, this one seemed to hit randomly around the world, with some regions affected and others not.

Facebook says it has 2.45 billion active monthly users across its array of products.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Facebook's Instagram launches Snapchat-like 'Threads' app

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it was launching a separate camera-first messaging app, "Threads", for its photo-sharing platform Instagram, stepping up the company's social media war with smaller rival Snapchat.

The launch of the app, which like Snapchat and Instagram is centered around photos but is more focused on keeping users connected with small groups of friends, knocked 5% off Snap Inc's shares in afternoon trading.

Through Threads, users can upload status, share location and battery status with their close friends on Instagram, the social media company said in a blog post.

Facebook has been focusing on Instagram, its fastest-growing revenue generator, as its core platform has been under scrutiny from regulators regarding privacy and spread of misinformation or fake news.

Users can also enable "auto status" feature, which would automatically update their battery life and status based on current location, the company said, adding that the feature is an opt-in.

Precise location information collected for auto status will be specific to Threads and will not be used for ads, Facebook said.

"The way we use data from other parts of Facebook and Instagram to deliver relevant ads to you remains the same," the company said.

Instagram launched "Close Friends" feature in November last year, allowing users to share their stories with a smaller group of people.

source: news.abs-cbn.com  

Zuckerberg meets Trump, senators; nixes breaking up Facebook

WASHINGTON - Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg met Thursday with US President Donald Trump and members of Congress on a political reconnaissance mission to Washington, where he rejected calls to break up the world's biggest social network.

Zuckerberg's visit comes as Facebook faces a myriad of regulatory and legal questions surrounding issues like competition, digital privacy, censorship and transparency in political advertising.

A Facebook spokesman said discussions were focusing in part on future internet regulation.

Senate Democrat Mark Warner, one of the lawmakers who has taken the lead in Washington on digital security, signalled they gave Zuckerberg an earful.

The visit, including a Wednesday night private dinner with Warner and other lawmakers, comes after his stormy appearance last year before Congress, where he was grilled on Facebook's data protection and privacy missteps.

Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican freshman and one of the more outspoken critics of Facebook, said he had a "frank conversation" with Zuckerberg but remains concerned.

"Challenged him to do two things to show FB is serious about bias, privacy & competition. 1) Sell WhatsApp & Instagram 2) Submit to independent, third-party audit on censorship," Hawley tweeted. 

"He said no to both."

Trump late Thursday posted a picture on Facebook and Twitter showing him shaking hands with Zuckerberg, but didn't share details of their conversation. 

"Nice meeting with Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook in the Oval Office today," the president wrote. 

Federal and state anti-trust enforcers are looking into potential anti-competitive actions by Facebook, and members of Congress are debating national privacy legislation.

The messaging product WhatsApp and picture-sharing giant Instagram are part of Facebook's broad family of services that has made it a global online behemoth, but have also exposed the company to concerns about competition, data harvesting and sprawling digital control.

Warner said he was not prepared to call for Facebook's dismantlement.

"I'm not yet with some of my friends who want to go straight to break up," he told Fox Business Network.

"I am concerned. These are global companies, and I don't want to transfer the leadership to Chinese companies," he added. 

"But I do think we need a lot more transparency. We need to have privacy rights protected. We need to increase competition with things like data portability and interoperability."

Two months ago, the US Federal Trade Commission hit Facebook with a record $5 billion fine for data protection violations in a wide-ranging settlement that calls for revamping privacy controls and oversight at the social network.

Earlier Wednesday, executives from Facebook, Google and Twitter appeared before a Senate panel to answer questions on "digital responsibility" in the face of online violence and extremism.

source: news.abs-cbn.com